Keomany Leuangthi, of the Southeast Asian nation of Laos, works with Asian Arks, a nonprofit in Asia dedicated to conservation, doing species identification and as a field technician.
“In the field team, I so far have set up camera traps and collected data, and also participate in a law enforcement group as a ranger in the protected area in Laos,” Keomany said.
“My interest in nature conservation started when I was a child living in a small village in the Annamite mountain,” said Keomany. “Much of our food came from wild collection in the forest and here was also my first knowledge of birds, moths and butterflies, and how humans, animals and plants live together.
“Later in high school we also learned how these relationships can be disturbed by over exploitation and human greed, resulting in global warming and destruction of biodiversity.
“Living in an area outside Vientiane in a savanna-like biotope, where a small village is converted to a garden city-like construction by building houses on previous paddies, I now can follow how biodiversity changes.
“Since 2015, I have participated in the Natural Laos group where I can learn more from other naturalists about nature such as plants, animals, and insects,” said Keomany. “I am pleased to participate in National Moth Week as country coordinator to advertise to the people how important beautiful moths are to our ecological system.”
Welcome Keomany!